The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-03-10
Mr. Peterkin's System of Preparing Land
for his Cotton Crops.

Preparing the land properly Is laying
the foundation for a crop. If you have
cotton lands, it is the surest crop cultiva-
teiif properly prepared and fertilized.
T am satisfied that planting on the stalk
beds continuously is wrong. This is a
custom of a great many farmers. Not SO
in the Pee.Dee section, but in many
portions of the South. Iflands are nat
urally rich it makes but little difference
how they are prepared or cultivated, but
on lands that have to be nurtured and fed
from silver spoon we must be careful
how we handle it. Now what I wish to
say is this, plant this year where the alley
was last year, and near the level or below
the level rather than on bedsaThen in
cultivating you throw the soil down hill
instead of up hill. 1t is not so subject
to be injured by drought. Roots are
never cut. It's impossible to cultivate
a crop of cotton on high bed without
seriously cutting or pressing the roots.
It can be done with hoe work as the sea
island or long staple planters do it; bEt
It'll expensive, and it would not pay 20
make cotton by such system.
To prepare cotton land after cotton is
to run out the stalks with four or five
inch shovel or bull-tongue first. In run
ming: your furrow, if there are large stalks,
use Two mules, then one will walk in each
alley: but if there are small stalks and
lightland, one furrow with one horse will
do. The horse walks on the top of the
stalk bed. Now, if you wish to plant
below a level, throw backvthe first fur
row, or stalk row, until the ssy is clear
ed out. This givesa good chance for
deep ploughing. Apply your fertilizer
in the alley, and plsnt on two burrows.
This gives you an opportunity of planting
any height or depth you choose, and
the land that was not fertilized last year
is fertilized this. If there is any fertili.
zer left from last years fertilizer, the
roots get it when the plant is large and
at fertilizing time. When planted in the
same place continually, the middle OF the
row becomes very poor, and the long
roots that have gone to that part have
nothing to feed on when they most need
it.
The system of reversing the row every
year is more like broadcast fertilizipg,
which is the popular way to fertilize
lands to make them rich. Mr.. Dixon
was wrong when he said, plant on a bed
and cultivate level with large fatsweep.
1t can't be done without too much root
pruning.
Roots of cotton should never be cut.
The only way to keep from cutting them
is to plant for that purpose. Use plan
ter that puts every seed in the bottom Of
the furrow, and one that does not allow
the wind to blow the seed from the furrow
on to one side. The Dow Law and all
planters of that build are worthless. For
instance, the Dow Law goes in q swing.
ing motion and puts part Of the seed
shallow and part deep, and makes an
irregular stand. a perfect stand is very
essential.in in cultiva.ing crop. Many
farmer is ruined by not having his cotton
come up so that it can be worked before
the grass takes possession. I will tell
you later how to cultivate it on my level
or low system.-J. d. Psterkin, in the
Weekly Mews and Courier.